Where is this relationship going?

Signing young players on loan has worked well for Celtic in the recent past: Patrick Roberts and Odsonne Edouard, being good examples. While others, like Charly Musonda, failed to make the grade. Musonda had talent (you remember that chip against Zenit), but he never looked up to the physical challenges of the professional game.

When Celtic sign the likes of Timothy Weah on a short-term loan, our initial thought is, “Where is this relationship going?” Will the loan be extended, as it was for Roberts, or end in a purchase, as it did for Edouard, or will this be a one-off gig?

Weah appears to have abundant talent but his chances of breakthrough at PSG are limited. Mbappe, Neymar and Cavani head an illustrious list of strikers at a club always looking to add to their squad. It is more likely that the Paris club will look to build Weah’s value at Celtic in the hope of earning an inflated transfer fee. This practice is how all tier-one clubs operate and underpins their Financial Fair Play credentials.

It is important for Celtic to build a squad – to manage our assets. The try before you buy model, used effectively with Edouard, works well in this regard. Building relationships with PSG or Man City, who know their players can gain necessary experience and appreciate in value, means we remain a valuable option for future deals.

But we also need to win football games, irrespective of more strategic concerns, even if there is no long-term relationship with the player. Sometimes it is OK for a relationship not to last beyond the summer.

The problem with going global for 17/18 year olds is that overachievers in that age bracket have a path laid out to the first team where they are.

Added to this if they are at a club in one of the big 5 leagues they will be on huge money.

So what you are looking at tier 2/3 players at that age group. You then start to question if they are really that much better than the youth we already have.

Oliver Burke was judged to be in the top category at that age group and that was a mistake. If a player makes a similiar fall from tier 2 down you are left with a player who is probably not going to be able to handle the SPL.

On the flip side other players in tier 2 at age 17/18 will make the jump up and become better players than predicted.

But unless we have a crystal ball there is no way to be absolutely certain who those players will be.

At age 21 West Brom are still hedging their bets on Oliver Burke.

Going out and signing foreign 17/18 year old tier 2/3 players in bulk with limited analysis on their performances is not a sustainable strategy IMO. Lets not forget at that age you probably have to pay for them, and moving to Scotland to become 4th choice in their position is probably not in their life or career plans,

If we go global for 17 / 18 year olds it will be to improve our youth set up not put them straight into our first team squad — sorry for any confusion you may have had regarding my thoughts.

We have the example of TW who at 18 is seemingly being brought in to the first team squad. You are correct this is the exception but it has been brought on by our paucity of local equivalents and and a player / forward shortage in our first team squad.

To repeat — my point is that currently we are paying big money for 20/21/22 year olds.

Surely a better balance would be to try and get some — repeat some — of them in at 18.

Better mix and better financials but more effort and better youth coaching.

I am for a full age group youth set up just a case that your last point does not hold water at the moment — we are losing out locally regarding youth talent. We have the best facilities, the highest profile players and the biggest stage but we are not domination youth football as we should.

My thoughts are that we should have multiple streams.

Local school based academy.

Regional centres across the country.

Couple of overseas bases.

All these feeding into a U19 set up with the addition of projects and punts based on what we come across and specific issues with a particular age groups — example: limited talent at CB for the 2001’s then bring in someone from outside.

U19’s / U20’s / U21’s — then three choices:

First team squad / loan for the talented but immature / free transfer out.

From the outside we seem to have tried this to some extent but recently the U20 / U21 age group seems to have been broken up prematurely to the extent that we do not seem to have a settled side.

The reality is we need two strikers. As we already have two at the club on long term deals one was always going to be a loan. It was then a question of how much we would invest in the other and the answer appears to be £2m. Both have the potential to score goals and be successful. Weah really needs to deliver in the short term where as Bayo has more time to make an impact. I have no idea what will happen but I’m relatively comfortable that we have enough between now and the end of the season in an attacking sense.

Where we really need to do good business is at right back. I would go as far as to say that our 8 in a row effort could hinge on that position. It is now critical that we eliminate that weakness with an appropriate level of investment. For me Lustig has reached the end and Ralston is not tested of suitably experienced. If we don’t recruit a suitable right back I genuinely fear for the rest of our season.

` Where we really need to do good business is at right back. I would go as far as to say that our 8 in a row effort could hinge on that position. `

I , too, have worried about Lustig for quite a while now.Unlike yourself, though, I don`t think the rest of the Scottish teams are close enough to us to exploit that weakness. Anyway, Mikel might come back rejuvenated and play like he used to :-))

I’ve highlighted why it is too simplistic to say scout/get them earlier.

I gave you examples in Oliver Burke and Ryan Gauld who we’d love to have had at the age group you mention.

Additionally at 17/18 PSG and Man City have the luxury and the resources to hold off and see if these guys are going to make the grade for them. They can also be selective of where to send them on loan.

Like you said most Scottish teams are not close enough to exploit this weakness but it’s worth noting Kent did in sevco game and in the 4-2 victory over Hibs at Celtic park both goals against were directly due to Lustig errors in a game we should have been more comfortable.

Doing what no other club can do, tapping into the mega rich Chelsea, Man City, PSG and their

young star players.

What’s not to like in the quest for excellence and entertainment at Celtic Park?, we are the breeding ground with the support, stadia, facilities and platform all unequalled, in pursuit of trebles, we are the envy of ‘anyone but Celtic’.

Our relationship with Paddy Roberts was for 2 ½ seasons, we should be back in for him to come home, massive changes in summer shouldn’t prevent us from signing a player where the defence needs sorted now.

I would trust Anthony in right back position till season ends and we win the treble treble.

——–

Tony has the bit between his teeth now and appears to take no prisoners, which i really like. No reason why he cant make the position his own over the next 2/3 season but i think now we need genuine quality given how high the stakes are.

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